All Along
by StressOfWriting
Summary: Princess Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry have been dating for a while and all is perfect for the alicorn and the royal guard. However, during a peaceful walk together, a dark, shocking secret about Flash is revealed and Twilight will never see love the same way again. (Rated K-plus for mild violence and mild flirting)


**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Equestria Girls, nor the characters.**

**This idea popped into my head and I wanted to write it down.**

**It's a one-shot and not really good, but I had fun writing it. And I hope you guys enjoy reading it :)**

**This fanfiction is also on my DeviantArt (link in my profile)**

**Constructive criticism is appreciated!**

* * *

Twilight trotted out of her tree-like castle, looking at the professionally performed sunset. She wished she could inhale the open air along with gazing at the beautiful sky, but she knew the smell of ash and smoke was still fresh around her home. The purple alicorn did not only want to avoid a horrid stench, but also the scent of what was once her beloved books. The princess was feeling conflicted. Recalling her old library and books were the last thing she would want for comfort at the moment.

Ever since Tirek's defeat two weeks ago, the princess had been frustrated. Even Discord's biggest tricks were nothing compared to Tirek's destruction. Trying to return to a normal schedule was infuriating. Twilight was grateful for Tirek's defeat and the recently sprouted castle, but she still wanted to blow off some steam. Salvaging, recovering, and reorganizing surviving books was backbreaking work for the princess. Recent political issues also added some weight. The princess was barely finished with settling into her new castle to start writing down daily check-lists and schedules and move on with life. Twilight Sparkle was extremely thankful for her friends, who had helped her with duties and stress. However, for the past few days, her five best friends had been occupied with personal problems, leaving Twilight and Spike alone with their disorganized castle. Twilight understood her friends' problems and knew it was selfish of her to complain, but she could not help it.

_So many things have changed,_ Twilight told herself as she trotted away from the castle. _I made friends. I saved Equestria multiple times with my friends. I became a princess. I lost my library but got a castle. I fell in love..._

Twilight finally allowed herself a huge breath of the air once she felt the heat of smoke off her flank. She calmly exhaled, frustration blowing away with the released air. Then she opened her wings and stretched them as if she could make them as wide as Princess Celestia's. She felt the bones in her wings yawn out in relief and flapped her wings a few times. Moving those wings never felt so wonderful before.

Twilight had started coming out of the castle to breathe and stretch after her friends had stopped coming. After a long day of working and giving Spike a snack, she would go out and deal with her troubles on her own. Sometimes, she made those breaks quick and then immediately returned to work. Other times, when she could not tolerate the stress pinching at her head, she would take the whole night off.

Tonight was one of those times. Twilight had told Spike to take a break from dusting the ashes off books and be in charge of the castle while she was gone. And while Twilight was gone, the purple pony was going to meet with a certain colt. Tonight, she was going on a date.

Twilight finally smiled at the thought of her special somepony. She had first formed a crush on his hand-using, biped counterpart in a parallel world. A month after returning from the mirror universe, she admitted her love towards Flash Sentry, a handsome guard in the Crystal Empire's army. The Pegasus may not be a musician, but Flash Sentry was as charming and gentle as the human that Twilight knew and loved. Flash had been climbing the ranks in the army throughout their relationship. He now possessed a high-status, earned by his surprising, but impressive strength. He must had worked hard to become stronger and stronger, so Twilight was also proud and respectful of him.

When Twilight had confessed her love, her friends were skeptical and teasing at first. However, now they fully accept Flash Sentry. And to Twilight's surprise, Flash Sentry immediately approved Twilight after she asked him out. It was as if this was the continuation of the love developed in the mirror world. No questions asked, no surprised reaction. Twilight had even doubted Flash's acceptance of her, but she later shrugged the sudden love relationship off.

Twilight and Flash had first started with simple meetings to socialize. However, those meetings had recently evolved into legitimate dates from flying across Canterlot to going to dinners together. Tonight, the couple had planned just a simple walk by the border that Ponyville and the Everfree Forest shared. Flash had suggested the idea and Twilight agreed. The princess was looking forward for the romantic break to lift her spirits up.

After stretching her legs, the purple alicorn then noticed a figure forming in the darkening sky, flying towards her. Twilight flapped her relaxed wings, this time lifting herself off the ground, and flew towards the approaching pegasus.

"Flash!" Twilight exclaimed once she saw the dark figure form into a yellow pony. If this meeting happened the months ago, Twilight's heart would be pumping and her flying would fidget. However, she was not as shy and skeptical about this romance as she used to be. She was now proud to have a coltfriend like Flash.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle." Flash Sentry greeted with a smile. "How may I serve you?"

Twilight Sparkle chuckled once she and Flash Sentry were face-to-face. They both flapped their wings to keep themselves up in the air. "Well, young guard, you may serve me by finding a better joke to greet me with." When they had first dated, Twilight had assured Flash that he did not have to address her as a princess. Flash ended up turning it into a joke. Twilight found it funny, but it was getting old.

"Yes, your highness." Flash remarked. "I shall tell the guards to heighten security in Joke-land."

The two ponies quietly laughed before Flash interrupted it with a sudden groan. Twilight stopped laughing and watched in concern as Flash held his right front hoof in grimace.

"What happened to you?" Twilight asked, letting her worrisome personality take over. "Are you sick? Injured?"

"Sprained my ankle today." Flash murmured out in response. "But don't worry. Medics say it will heal tomorrow if I don't abuse it."

"Well, you better be careful. We can call off the walk if you want. We can just spend the night here in Ponyville and give you hoof a rest. My next magic lesson is a healing spell. I could start early on it and maybe - "

"Twilight, relax, I'll be fine." Flash looked up, optimism suddenly replacing pain in his eyes. "Right now," He reached out his good hoof to touch Twilight's chin and lifted it up, locking the two gazes together. "We're due to a nice, peaceful walk. May you lead the way?"

"Of course. Follow me." Twilight replied and blushed as Flash Sentry let go of Twilight's chin. As she faced the direction to the Everfree Forest, the purple mare realized that it was finally night. Not only that, but there was no cloud in sight. It was a perfect sky for their walk to be under.

Twilight began to fly towards the dark forest, with Flash Sentry by her side.

"Wow." She heard the Pegasus whisper. "You look beautiful in the night." Twilight could not hold back the pink forming on her cheeks.

"Thank you, Flash. You look handsome in the night too." Twilight replied, turning her head to meet Flash's gaze again. Flash blinked his thanks. Twilight noticed some other emotion in those blue eyes. She thought she could see some unexplainable emotion in Flash. It felt like that one lifted eyebrow and smirk was hiding a mysterious emotion. It made Twilight think that Flash was onto something...

_...no, no._ Twilight brushed the ridiculous thought away. Twilight should not get her worrying ways take over this night. It almost did with concerning Flash's wellbeing. She would not ruin the date with a stupid concern over somepony's face expression. This date was supposed to calm her, not worry her.

Twilight intended to have a perfect night with her lovely coltfriend.

* * *

"The Everfree Forest...Doesn't look as menacing as the tales say." Flash Sentry said when the two ponies landed on the border.

"I thought of the same thing when I first went into it with my friends." Twilight added. "It's actually not even haunting as long as you leave the creatures alone."

"Hmm, strange." Flash commented, giving Twilight that strange mischievous look again. "I might explore it myself one day. But for now, shall we take a stroll?"

Twilight nodded yes and Flash turned around, trotting along a trail by the border. The trail also lead to Fluttershy's cottage, but Flash Sentry was trotting away from it. Twilight, deciding not to ask why he choose this direction to walk, followed.

"It's such a gorgeous night." Twilight said to Flash. "I have to admit, Princess Luna is underrated in Equestria. Not saying that Princess Celestia's unimportant, of course."

"They both bring light and harmony in the land." Flash replied, but Twilight noticed that Flash suddenly looked down to his hooves, his calm smile shifting into a frown.

"Is something wrong?" Twilight asked. The stallion immediately had a smile on his face and replied, "Why would be something be wrong?"

"Because you were looking depressed for a moment." Twilight stated.

"Well...I'm actually having some personal conflicts as well in the Crystal Empire, Princess. Some stress must have slipped in my mind." Flash answered quickly. Twilight wanted to tell him not to call her that title, but knew it would be rude to interrupt. "But don't worry. This walk, and perhaps another chat, will calm us both down."

"Oh, right. OK." Twilight said softly. At the back of her head though, she could not help but question what was bothering the royal guard. She really wanted to ask the colt himself, but based of how quickly Flash's spirits lowered, now was not a good time. _Don't ruin this night, Sparkle._

"Hmm, what should we talk about..." Twilight pondered outloud. _We already talked about the night. Asking about Flash's duties in the Crystal Empire is out of the question._

"Umm...how did you become a royal guard?" Twilight asked. "You never told me how."

"I just have motivation to protect my lovely land." Flash responded as he lifted his chin up in pride, mischief gleaming in his eyes again. "Ever since I was I was a little larv - er, colt, I've always longed to serve my ruler and help my home." His smooth response and presentable tone made Twilight think those words were as honest as Applejack's.

"Have you ever considered being a musician?" Twilight asked again. Even though she loved the pony Flash more that the two-legged Flash now, she still could not help comparing the two. Flash had not even mentioned the word "music" throughout their relationship. Twilight had never seen him with a guitar, let alone play one. It was a huge difference between the two Flash Sentry's that Twilight could not get over.

Her question made Flash stop in his steps. His pride and truthful face vaporized and an uncertain one took over.

"Well, I...I did have a hobby..." Flash Sentry stuttered out, one of his hoof pounding on the dirt ground he was staring at. "But...I stopped to focus on my dream of becoming a guard." The Pegasus kneeled towards Twilight, his nervous look replaced with a small smile and a raised, playful eye. "And focusing on being the best coltfriend I can be."

Twilight's cheeks warmed up again and she could not help but smile.

"OK, OK, I won't ask any more questions." Twilight purred. Flash Sentry pulled back from Twilight and nodded respectfully in agreement.

The two ponies continued their walk in silence. Twilight was no longer in the mood to talk. She just wanted to enjoy the air, night, and Flash's presence.

_Snap!_

Twilight tore her eyes from the scenery and into the Everfree Forest. She heard rustling but could not spot any bush or plant shaking with the sound. The rustling eventually faded away, so did Twilight's nervousness. She suddenly felt like Fluttershy, jumping over the smallest of noises. It was probably just a harmless animal.

Then the rustling returned, louder this time. And it was also threatening now, based on the snapping of branches, thundering on the ground, and an unnamable, but spine-shuddering growling.

"What...was that?" Twilight asked, shrinking back and trotting away from the forest, dumping into Flash Sentry. "It...doesn't sound friendly. And it doesn't sound like any of the animals native to the forest." The produced growl sounded like a cross between a cackling hyena, a buzzing bee, and a warning snake.

Twilight felt Flash wrap a front leg around her and brought her closer to his chest. She felt Flash's heart beating on her neck. It was beating fast. Too fast...

"Maybe we should leave." Flash suggested. "There is a possibility that this creature is hostile."

"True, but...no." Twilight pulled Flash's leg off of her and trotted forward again. "This creature doesn't sound native to the forest and that leaves me suspicious and I want to get to the bottom of this. It could harm native animals or even itself in a habitat that doesn't suit it. I want to find this animals and see what I can do to relocate it. Just because I'm on break doesn't meant I don't have to perform my duties. And even if it does attack," Twilight opened up her tucked-in wings. "I can fly. I'll walk, but I'll save my flying energy if something happens."

Flash walked to Twilight's side. "Even though I don't have my armor and weapons, I can also spare some defensive moves. Very well, Twilight. Let's go find that beast, together."

"Thank you for joining me Flash." Twilight replied. "But...where to start? The Everfree Forest is actually very big and it'll take hours to search every square mile of it. And if I teleport anywhere, I risk scaring it."

"Wait, keep your voice down. I know a hearing technique to track down sounds." Twilight turned and saw Flash approaching the forest. His yellow ears flicked as Flash focused on the dark trees and plants beyond.

"The sound is coming from..." Flash pointed a hoof forward, slightly to the right. "There. I estimate that it's about half a kilometer from us. It's also coming to our direction, so we can find it pretty fast."

"Wow, this will be easier than I thought." Twilight said cheerfully. "What can I do without you, Flash?"

Flash chuckled, "It's nothing, really. Every castle guard is expected to learn that technique. But come on, let's go." Flash suddenly leaped into the forest.

"Hey! Wait up!" Twilight sprinted to catch up with the guard. "Oh! And be careful! You're ankle is..."

Twilight muted herself when her purple eyes laid on Flash's hooves. He had slowed down into a trot again and she could she could observe the hooves better. She spotted Flash's right front hoof and saw it on full force like the other three, without any sign of pain.

_That's odd._ Twilight pondered to herself as she followed behind Flash. _His ankle is totally fine. I didn't even think of doing any magic. It's as if it was never injured in the first place. A hoof cannot simply heal that fast naturally._

Well...a suddenly fine ankle was better than a sprained one. Twilight looked back up, joined Flash's side, and searched all of the trees and bushes for any movement.

After walking for what felt like ten minute, Flash paused and brought a hoof in front of Twilight, who stopped as well. Flash looked at the princess and gestured his hoof to his mouth, indicating that he wanted silence. The Pegasus then looked forward, performing his hearing technique again.

"It's close. In fact, we can just wait here and it'll come to us." Flash whispered.

"Really? That's great." Twilight softly exclaimed. "But we still should brace ourselves for anything, incase this guy gets frightened or hostile." Oh, if Fluttershy were here. It was too late to go back to fetch the animal caretaker now.

Twilight took a step forward when she heard rustling in the shrubs. She craned her neck around to follow the sound, now racing behind the two ponies.

"Great, now it's running around in circles." Twilight joked to Flash. Flash softly chuckled a few "Ha, ha..." before trailing off feebly. Why Flash was suddenly so serious, Twilight decided to question later.

"Hey, don't be afraid." The alicorn called out, turning around to face the stirring bushes. "We're here to help."

To her surprise, she was given a hiss for a response.

"Yeah...that's right." Twilight whispered back, taking the hiss as a "you are?" "Come on out, there's no need to be shy." She turned her head to see Flash joining her, looking back at the bristling hiding place.

When Twilight returned her purple eyes back at the plant, they shrunk with paralyzed shock when a figure suddenly sprang out from the shadows. The four-legged, pony-sized creature spat - revealing sharp white fangs - and pinned the pony to the ground.

Twilight screamed, staring at the being's blue bug eyes, holey legs, and gray skin.

"A - a changeling?! It's a changeling!" She screeched before lifting up her rear legs and bucking the changeling off of her. She scrambled onto her hooves, the speed of her panting matching the pace of her racing heart. _What's a changeling doing here?!_

She looked to her left to see Flash staring back at the changeling, taking a step forward. She expected him to go into some defensive stance, ready to take on the changeling.

But Flash remained standing tall and not taking any more steps towards the changeling, who got back on its hooves and growled at the stallion. Flash Sentry did not even narrow his eyes in anger, shrink his pupils in shock, or bark a treat to the changeling. Those were three things that Twilight thought a strong coltfriend like Flash to do to his special somepony's attacker.

What Twilight did saw occur on Flash's face, though, was a gulp, a sigh, and shutting his blue eyes slowly. He opened his eyes again and his eyebrows sunk back, exposing a regretful emotion.

"I'm sorry, Princess." He mumbled. _Sorry? About what?_ Twilight wanted to ask, but was too stunned to even utter a word.

Then another voice joined into this strange meetup.

"Well, _I'm_ not sorry, _Princess_." Twilight immediately jerked her eyes forward, where the voice formed. Behind the angry changeling, a taller one emerged from the forest. She grinned sinisterly and walked towards the purple pony. _Chrysalis. _Twilight cowered back until her flank bumped into something. She turned and saw that that something was a someone. Another changeling had snuck up behind her and snapped. Twilight jumped forward, but found herself not making another move. The alicorn stared at the ground, driving out the fearful changelings in her mind. She needed to create a spell to distract these no-good creatures so she and Flash could escape and get help. A stun spell was already forming her way into her unicorn horn until Chrysalis interrupted her focus.

"Twilight Sparkle. You've grown!" The queen exclaimed. "Have you missed us?"

With the force of her magic shattered and vaporized, Twilight looked up to meet the changeling's green piercing eyes. The princess gulped down her fear and narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Twilight demanded, trying to prevent any emotion to leak into her voice. "How did you even get into the Everfree Forest without being caught? I know that you and your two changelings could have scared the animals, but I know one zebra who would not let your presence go unnot - "

Twilight paused by the sound of muffling. She turned to her right and saw three more changelings approach. _How many changelings did she bring?!_ She did not dwell on the question for long, for her attention was turned to the familiar body the changelings were holding.

The changelings tossed the body towards their queen. It was Zecora, her front legs tied together by a rope and her mouth covered by a cloth.

"This zebra somehow broke out of her pupa prison, your Highness." One of the new changelings explained.

"Zecora!" Twilight, remembering how to walk again, trotted to her fallen friend's side. Zecora pulled herself up in a sitting position and mumbled through the cloth. Twilight knelt down and performed magic, this magic trick simple enough that she did not have to think about it.

Her magic highlighted the cloth and tugged it down. Zecora's freed mouth inhaled a gasp before the zebra spoke.

"Twilight! The changeling queen has made you a fool, for she has used Flash Sentry as her cunning tool!" Zecora cried, her pupils tiny in worry.

"What?" Twilight looked back up to Queen Chrysalis, speechless.

"Seems like your zebra knows too much." The queen simply replied. She turned her gaze towards Flash, who was still standing in the same place but looking back at the queen. There was still no protective or negative nature in Flash. It was still the questionably guilty one.

"But maybe it's time to tell the truth, don't you agree, Flash?" The queen continued. Flash looked down at the ground in response, kicking a rock on the forest floor.

"Flash...what's going on? Do you know something? How does the queen know you?" Twilight turned to face Flash, trotting towards her coltfriend, now as incomprehensible as he was when she first met his human counterpart. There was no way Flash and Chrysalis could have communicate to each other. No changeling had shown its face anywhere in Equestria ever since Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's wedding. And Flash would _never_ associate himself with Chrysalis! He was a royal guard and a good pony!

"You still don't get it?" Chrysalis' voice boomed to Twilight. The queen exploded into an evil laugh. "Amazing! This plan has succeeded more than I expected it to. It has even fooled you, when my plan in the wedding couldn't!"

"F-fooled?" Twilight looked down, thinking hard again. Instead of forming a spell though, she was forming a theory. _How could I be fooled? I never felt anything suspicious because of changelings or Flash. Wait...Flash!_ She recalled how Flash had immediately loved her back when she admitted her feelings. How his sprained ankle was suddenly cured. How this royal guard did not play music as leisure. Did his unspoken issues at the Crystal Empire count as untrustworthy too?

"Twilight, did you know that changelings can learn?" The queen continued. "I learned the flaws in my previous plan after being banished from Equestria and formed a more deceitful, clever one. I sent my own to the Crystal Empire, a lovely treasure now more valuable than Canterlot. But still, I would not risk catching the public's attention, so we sent changeling disguised as a no-named pony instead. How can anypony be suspicious about a pony she barely knows? This changeling happens to be a talented actor back in my Kingdom, so he also played the part with false kindness and gentleness. Nopony had a clue that this pony was trouble, even when he joined the Crystal Empire's army.

"All I wanted was my little changeling spy to parasite off the love between Cadance and Shining Armor and find a way to smuggle the love to the rest of my changelings. But little did I know you would show up and meet up with my spy. And now _your _love is what my spy feeds off of!"

"A changeling, sent to the Crystal Empire in disguise of a pony." Twilight murmured to herself. "Became a royal guard to feed off Cadance and Shining Armor's love. And then feed off of...me?! Wait, I don't love any royal guard other than..." She gasped. _No, this can't be true!_

The alicorn slowly looked up back at Flash and met his blue eyes. This time, she did not feel her heart bloom or her cheeks blush. Were these really the eyes that made Twilight feel lively and cheerful?

"Flash..." Twilight began, taking a few steps back from her special somepony. Never before was making words a difficult, challenging task. "Is it true? Are you a changeling? Are you a spy?"

Twilight completely forgot about the queen gloating besides her, the captive Zecora, and the other surrounding changelings. It seemed like the last thing in the universe was "Flash Sentry."

The yellow colt sighed and presented his right hoof. "Let's just say, my sprained ankle stopped being a sprained ankle after you told me I looked handsome in the night. Your love healed me and gave me strength. That was why I got promoted quickly in the ranks."

"It's...it's true?" Twilight did not mean to make that fact into a question. That same way she did not mean her eyes to start watering. "So...I was in love with a changeling the whole time."

"Yes." Chrysalis chimed in. "With you under the trickery of us, we planned our plan to overpower Equestria's rule once again! Flash has smuggled your love to him to other changelings throughout your relationship. However, it was still not enough to feed my entire kingdom and now it the time to take all of Equestria again, using _you_ as our bait. I'll lure Shining Armor to come to your aid, only for me to capture him and isolate him from Cadance. With the two apart, nothing will stop us!

"But I'm afraid I have said too much now. Changelings! Emprison her!"

Twilight sensed the five changelings surrounding her, buzzing closer and closer.

"Twilight, you must flee, or you will become a captive like me!" She heard Zecora warn. Twilight knew the zebra was right, but she could not bring her legs or wings to do it. All she could do was keep staring at Flash. Everything she blinked her blurry eyes clear, they only formed with more tears when she focused on Flash.

"Congratulations, my changeling." The queen said, approaching the false Pegasus now. "I'm proud to have a clever spy like you." Flash finally moved. Looking back at the superior changeling, Flash kneeled down, and bowed respectfully to the queen.

Then a green light formed around Flash and encased the Pegasus. When the green light vanished, there was no more Flash. A changeling replaced what was once her coltfriend. Flash's true self looked like any other soldier changeling. Bug-like eyes. Lacking a mane, which looked like a fish fin and was as gray as any other changeling's mane. And, of course, the fangs jutting out of Flash's mouth. Twilight had kissed that mouth before when those fangs were hidden.

However, what made Flash different from all of the other changelings was his shell-covered back. Instead of three, light gray stripes racing down from his dark blue shell, there were two, thick stripes connected side-by-side. One white and the other red._  
_

Now Twilight was double positive that her world's Flash Sentry was very different to his human counterpart. Why was she even still calling this changeling Flash? He was not Flash. Not anymore...

"Wait...changelings take the form of other ponies." Twilight wondered outloud. "That means there is a real Flash Sentry out there!"

"Well, there is a real Flash Sentry. A musician, not a single desire to become a royal guard in him. But he has been...taken care of prior to my changeling's arrival to the Crystal Empire." Chrysalis replied, probably overhearing Twilight. Looking at the outnumbered princess, she continued, "Don't look so pale, Twilight. I had the mercy to spare his life and make him a prisoner back in my kingdom. But what makes you think the real Flash will replace your false one?"

_He has to love me!_ Twilight forced herself to believe. _The real Flash _will_ be just like the one I met in Canterlot High. I just...err! All this time, I thought I was happy with this relationshop! But all along, I've been...used._

Twilight was too busy with herself and her tears that she was surprised when she was suddenly attacked and brought down, drowning in the gurgling sound of changelings. She struggled to get back onto her hooves, but all four of her legs and even her two wings were pinned down by the changelings. Finally, anger - an aftermath of the feeling of betrayed - sparked Twilight's magic. She lifted her free head up, a large aura surrounding her horn, and she blasted a beam, aiming at the changeling queen.

She watched as Chrysalis yelped, standing paralyzed as the beam zoomed closer.

_BOOM!_

Twilight gritted her teeth, telling herself to calm down, as she stared at the smoke and raining dirt surrounding where the queen had stood. She refused to take her eyes off of it, but she could barely lift her head up now. That magic beam exhausted so much of her energy. She would not be using her gifted magic for a while. _Maybe I should have just teleported out of here. I shouldn't have let my emotions get to me. But...I can't help it. He betrayed me! Our love was never real..._

Her anger suddenly disappeared once the smoke cleared out and she saw Flash in front of the shocked queen, with a large, green, magical shield protecting the two. There was now a snarling look on Flash's face. It was the defensive emotion Twilight had expected him to express when the changelings had first arrived. Flash's new, bent horn was encased with a green aura. _Of course. Flash's not a Pegasus. He can perform magic with that horn exposed now. And very strongly, considering that he feed off my love._

When the shield faded away, Flash's determined emotion disappeared as well. His regretful face returned and he stared down at the ground again. Even with those large fangs and incomprehensible eyes, his emotions rang as true as they seemed when he was in his Pegasus form.

The surprised look on Queen Chrysalis' face also disappeared, replaced with her infamous, cocky smile.

"Incredible! I have forgotten how powerful love can be!" The queen boasted. "Unfortunately, I am becoming impatient with this little pony nuisance." The tall, elegant changeling looked down proudly to Flash. "I shall give you the honors of creating Twilight's pupa prison. Make it quick, though. Like I said, I'm becoming impatient."

Flash stared down at Twilight. Twilight, fighting to keep her eyes open, gazed weakly back up at the traitorous changeling. She thought she saw Flash's eyes fill with some new emotion. Not loyalty. He was not defending anypony or changeling. Not love. Twilight feared that she knew the signs of that emotion too much for her to handle. Not guilt. He was not starting at the ground, but looking at her with mouth ajar and legs trembling. Was it...uncertainty? Conflicted by what to do?

Flash had been so hesitant ever since the changelings had revealed themselves. Why? Should a changeling be happy that he had succeeded to please his queen? Twilight thought that all changelings as heartless as Chrysalis. Yet, Flash acted as if he still concerned over Twilight even after deceiving her.

_Does...he really love me? Is that why he looked so ashamed before? Is that why he's hesitating to imprison me?_ Hope - the last kind of emotion she had expected to occur - sparkled in Twilight's damaged heart. _Could I still rely on Flash to help me out of this mess?_

"What are you waiting for? Get on with it!" The queen demanded. Flash snapped back out of his conflicted face. He shook his head while closing his eyes. Then, he looked back at Twilight, this time without any confusion or regret on his monstrous face.

A green aura formed on Flash's horn. The changeling approached Twilight. _Flash..._ She mumbled in her thoughts. She wanted to say these words out loud, but it was exhausting enough to think of them. _It doesn't have to be like this. I know there still is a kind character in you. There has to be...I don't care if you're not the pony I thought I knew. Just please..._

With Flash towering over her, Twilight could clearly notice the changeling's holey legs trembling slightly. Twilight wanted to look up to those hideous, but mesmerizing light blue eyes of Flash. She wanted to break free of the changelings' grasp, and hug Flash. And he would hug back, right?

But she did not. She was too weak to do so.

What she did, however, was hear Flash's voice. Or, his true voice, not the one a pony would possess. His changeling accent made his words shudder, but his honest tone and calm volume made Twilight knew that it was his words. Flash Sentry's words. And those words were:

"Twilight, I'm sorry..."

* * *

**My headcanon of Flash Sentry. *squee***

**Wait, does this mean he's also a waifu stealer? Perhaps so!**

**Well, I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this little story! Take care and have a good day.**


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